Aincrad's Madman
by TheKaiSenpai
Summary: We know of Kirito and Heathcliff, but what if Sword Art Online had another powerful name? The player who's called The Madman. How will this character's ideals change the course of everyone's fate? How will everyone's fate change his ideals?
1. A New View

"_It is sometimes an appropriate response to reality to go insane."_

_Philip K. Dick, VALIS_

To be completely honest, Kai would have been lying if he said he was calm. But he'd also be lying if he said he was afraid. No. He was happy. Happy to finally be free. To prove he was more than what his friends and family thought of him. As he stared at the crimson sunset of the beautiful world Akihiko Kayaba created, he couldn't help but wonder if his family was worrying about him. After all, he was the black sheep of the family.

"You'll never amount to anything if you keep playing those games," they'd say. "You need to make more friends." The truth was, Kai had friends. They were the people who played the games with him. Sure, he couldn't talk to them face-to-face before, but here, that could change. And he was ready. Donning once again his starting gear, a bright white hooded coat with black fur on the hood and pants of the same color with vertical pinstripes, he made his way out into the night, hoping to play the game as regular for a while. After all, the first thing you do in a video game is train your abilities.

Kai's white gloved hand reached back and gently grasped at the hilt of his curved scimitar. When he first started playing, he decided he wanted to do mostly pvp. Of course, doing so now would be immoral, so the benefits of having such a weapon made to trap an enemy's weapon was near useless. Through the darkening streets, he could see all spectrums of reactions. He saw some throw themselves off the edge of the world. He saw some laughing with friends, hoping everything was a joke. Some were crying, having realized quickly that they were trapped. One boy with short black hair was fleeing from another in red armor. Kai assumed that they had been acquaintances before, the young man and the older man. Perhaps they'd had a disagreement? The seventeen year old frowned, realizing that unlike him, these other people didn't want to be here. They had friends who cared about them. Family that would miss them. Unlike him, these people were prisoners.

"I don't have time for such thoughts…" Kai spoke aloud to himself. "The stronger I become, the less a threat I'm in." With that, Kai rushed off to the nearest field, hoping that there were strong mobs for him to clear out.

It became apparent to Kai soon enough that levelling was going to be a challenge. Four hours in, he hadn't even hit level three. There had to be a better way. Kai paused a moment, resting so he wouldn't tire out. It was around midnight in the game. He'd sleep days and work nights so he could clear mobs while others were sleeping.

"I need to find something stronger…" Kai nodded, agreeing with himself. "Yes. There are stronger mobs to the north. We should go fight them instead." There was a long silence. "It makes sense. These wolves are too easy to kill, anyway." Apparently having come to a decision, Kai made his way north into the forests. He could see the labyrinth of the 1st Floor not far ahead. Maybe a few hours away. The lights from Tolbana Town could also be seen in the distance, but he decided to stay away for a bit. It wouldn't be any fun if he was the only one there. He'd wait until other players went.

There was a growl behind Kai, issuing him to turn, pulling the scimitar from his back simultaneously. It was another Dire Wolf. "Damn. Another weak…" He glanced at the beast's cursor. It was a significantly greater level than the others he'd faced. As well as himself. A maddening smile swept across Kai's face. "Kahaha! Let's dance!" Howls erupted all around him. So the wolves always attacked together. Even better. "REAVER!" Kai shot forward with his glowing blade, piercing through the wolf. Though it howled in outrage, the beast didn't fall. Perfect. "Let's see you survive THIS!" Kai stopped as fast as he could, jumping back and slashing wildly at the wolf. "By the order of General Lafayette, OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!" Kai swung down, attempting to cleave right at the wolf's neck. Even though it was at half health, the Dire Wolf shattered instantly. It took Kai a moment to process that. "Kayaba-san you clever bastard… You even input weak spots." The next few mobs were easy. Kai was great with swinging accuracy. One by one the Dire Wolves were beheaded by the crazed boy. "I WILL BECOME THE STRONGEST!" Kai's long black hair twirled in the wind as he fought, flowing almost like a shadowy river.

"H-HEEEELP!" A scream penetrated the woods not long after the last Dire Wolf had been vanquished. Kai immediately turned towards the direction it came from. It sounded not far off. If he ran, maybe it'd take a minute or so. But he had to keep training. "Please, someone! Anyone! Help me!" The roar of a monster echoed through the forest. Kai sighed and rubbed his temples.

"That sounds like a big-ass monster…" he told himself. "We could get a lot of EXP from that…" He smirked. "Right. Let's do this." Having made up his mind, Kai ran towards the source of the screaming and roaring. Despite being smacked in the face by every low branch in the forest, he found himself at a clearing. On the other side stood a frightened girl. She must have been around 11, definitely someone who shouldn't be playing such a game. She had chestnut hair in a fluffy ponytail and from what Kai could see, freckles. The girl was about a half of a foot smaller than him. In between them stood a pack of Dire Wolves, five of them. The fifth one was about twice the size as the others and its name was _Hungry Dire Wolf_. This probably wasn't a good idea. Still, the girl had caught sight of him, and he couldn't leave without looking like an ass.

"P-Please help me!" she shouted at him. The wolves turned their attention to Kai. Running was no longer an option. Instead, Kai drew his scimitar. His health was around 60%. Could he do this? His grip on the curved blade tightened. He had to. He wasn't going to let some kid die, not if he could help it. "COME AT ME!" He focused his anger at the wolves. Trying to kill a little kid, that's shameless! They'll taste death before an innocent little girl did! Indeed, the wolves came at him. Even though he was only level 2, he faced all five head on. "I'LL NEVER DIE! KAHAHAHAHA!"


	2. The Calm Before the Storm

**Author's note:**

**I know a lot of you guys wanted Kirito as the first chapter, but I wanted to get to know my OC first. But here he is, Kirito! Oh, some of the lines people say will be different. Mostly because I can't be bothered memorizing what they say. But the idea will pretty much be the same for the first bits. Regretfully, I don't own Sword Art Online or any of its cast. Except Kai. He's mine. :3**

"_The main reason I got stronger was so I'd survive."_

_- Kirito_

Kirito glanced at the bleachers around him in the amphitheater. It had been almost a month since everyone had been trapped in this death game. Still, even at the second boss clearing meeting, not many people had shown up. Maybe 60. Probably less. What made it harder though, was Kirito knew for a fact that he was the strongest player here, most likely by five levels or so. The average player would be about level 7. _The boss is level 11,_ He thought to himself, _This group will definitely have trouble…_ As the man who'd called them all together entered the stage in front, someone caught his eye. There were two people sitting on the opposite side as him, maybe just as far back. The first one he noticed, a boy with olive skin and jet black hair that reached his waist, seemed to be extremely relaxed given the situation. Maybe too relaxed. _Doesn't he realize how much danger he's in joining us?_ Kirito wondered, _Maybe he doesn't care…?_ Beside the boy sat a young girl, maybe the same age as his own little sister. _Suguha…_ Kirito shook the name from his mind. _What's that little girl doing? Did the boy drag her here? He doesn't expect her to fight, does he?_ As the man with the blue hair up front droned on about battle strategy, an angry outburst from the back took everyone's attention.

"Hey!" Kirito turned around to see who it was. At the top of the amphitheater was a guy with hair that resembled a cactus. "I've got something to say!" The man up front, Diavel, seemed impatient.

"Well? Out with it." Yeah, he probably didn't like being interrupted. The cactus headed guy jumped down in front of the stage.

"My name is Kibaou, and a lot of you out there should be apologizing!" he yelled. Kirito tensed. He couldn't mean… "You beta testers have been holding out on us! Everyone who's died so far is on your hands!" He turned to his captive audience. "We should make them give us all of their money and equipment!"

"Now Kibaou…" Diavel tried, but the guy wouldn't take it. Kirito felt ready to spring out. Had everything been his fault, simply because he'd gone solo…?

"If you're a beta tester, than show yourself!" There was a murmur through the crowd. _Can I get out of here undetected…?_ Kirito wondered. Before he could try, however, the boy he'd been observing earlier stood.

"Excuse me. Kibaou," he said. His voice was smooth, like silk. There was no doubt that he was used to talking others into doing what he wanted. Kirito took note of that. This guy, whoever he was, was not to be trusted if he wanted something. Even Kibaou had a hard time keeping his scowl when the boy spoke. "Everyone, let me fill you all in on something." The long haired boy, like Kibaou, leapt down in front of the stage. Diavel was obviously no longer in control of the situation.

"What do you want?" Kibaou did his best to glare at the boy. Even so, he had such a calm expression that it was hard to feel upset at him. It was almost as if he radiated an aura that said "Everything will be alright".

"My name is Kai," the boy said. "Now, did everyone manage to get a copy of this?" Kai held up a familiar looking book. _The field handguide,_ Kirito recognized it, _Of course, every player should have gotten one from the NPC's._ "Even you, Kibaou?" The cactus haired boy nodded, obviously confused. "The beta-testers were the ones to write this," Kai said. Gasps rang out through the crowd, hushing into silent conversations. "Anyone who's died, it's on their own hands. Nobody else's. Not even Akihiko's."

"You liar!" a high pitched voice shouted from behind Kirito. There stood an outraged hooded figure, probably a female judging from her voice. "We're all stuck in here because of that monster!" A combined 'Yeah!' sprung from the group as all heads turned to Kai.

_How could he not blame Kayaba? _Kirito wondered. Kai seemed unfazed.

"If he truly wanted us to die, wouldn't it just be easier to fry all of our brains as soon as we entered the game?" Kai stated. "Sure, he may have a god complex. But he gave us a chance to win. To live. To escape." Kai looked at the ground and chuckled. "Would a monster give his victims a chance to escape his clutches willingly? No."

"What would you know of monsters…?" the girl behind Kirito had her fists clenched, looking down. "You're evil to agree with him!"

"If I were evil, would I be trying so hard to help all of you escape!?" Kai snapped. His face begot his irritation. "Who do you think helped Diavel here map out the dungeon? Not just the boss room, but the ENTIRE dungeon." There was an uneasy silence. "Yes, I like it here. But the needs of the many…"

"Outweight the needs of the one," Diavel finished. There was again a long pause. _This guy… He can't be serious, _Kirito couldn't understand it. Why would someone ever want to stay trapped in this world? Kirito noticed that Kibaou had long since taken his seat. Diavel clapped his hands once. "Well, on that light note, let's form a raid party. Six in each, do you understand? Tomorrow we'll be marching up at 10 AM, so early rising!" With that, he hopped down from the stage and began talking to Kai. The little girl sauntered over with them, and they openly welcomed her.

Kirito looked at the girl behind him. She'd yet to move. Quickly, he scooted over to get close to her. "You aren't going in a party?" he asked. She crossed her arms and pouted.

"I… don't have any friends…" she admitted, looking sadly at her feet. Kirito instantly pulled up his window and invited her.

"Good. Me neither. Let's go together." He smiled at her. Slowly and with much thought, the girl accepted. Curious, Kirito peered at her name. _Asuna, huh?_ He smiled, _So I was right; a girl. And level nine to boot. Not bad at all._ "Well, shall we-" he started to say, but Asuna had already started on her way out.

"Would you two mind partying up with me?" Diavel asked. Kai looked down at Yuki. The little girl, after much training, was level eight. He himself was level ten. It wasn't perfect, but a third member would make things easier.

"Sure," Kai said, inviting Diavel to his party. "You may lead, but I'd like to be the head of the party." Yuki was off playing on the stage, pretending she was some pop idol. "I have to take care of her, after all." Diavel smiled knowingly.

"She's awfully strong," he said, looking at her level, "Maybe she doesn't need protection."

"She might be strong in terms of level, but she's still broken about being… you know, stuck." Kai sighed and kicked at the dirt at his feet. Diavel seemed to understand. "As much as I want to stay here… I have to get her out."

"You sound like a father." Kai was taken aback by that remark. "Giving anything to help your child, even your own happiness."

"I wouldn't know," Kai responded, "Yuki, it's time we go." He turned to Diavel, "Care to join us?" Diavel nodded.

"Thank you. I'll be in your care, Kai-san." He gave the boy a teasing look.

"Don't start that shit," was the only reply. Yuki had since taken Kai's hand and the trio began walking back into the heart of Tolbana.

Even Diavel admitted before he left. The town was beautiful at night. The hanging lights and the marketplace noises added a calm, homey feel to the town square. Kai sat beside Yuki, gently patting her head like he'd done so many times to his younger sister before she… left… Yuki was thoroughly enjoying it, but blushing all the while.

"Do you think the moon goes around the sky like it does at home?" Yuki asked. Kai didn't have an answer for that. So like he'd done with all of her other questions, he made on up.

"Hm… I think the moon is a big monster that Kayaba forgot to put into the game," he speculated, "but the coding is still there. It circles around the first floor, longing to be on the ground with its friends." Yuki looked at him for a bit, than up at the moon. She reached her right hand out and moved it up and down. "What are you doing?"

"I'm petting it," was the reply. Yuki's attention returned to the moon. There, there, mister monster. Someday you'll get back home. Someday, we'll all get back home." Kai couldn't believe just how innocent this little girl was. _She's taken pity on something that could, if it existed, kill her…_ He sighed and continued to pet her head.

"You're a good kid, Yuki-chan," he smiled, "I hope… I hope you never have to grow up…"

The inn was cheap, but he didn't want to let Yuki out of his sight. That was a mistake. It was hard for Kai to sleep with a young girl kicking his back. She didn't seem to be having nightmares, but she'd kicked him off of the bed almost three times. Eventually, Kai had had enough, and went out to the bar on the ground floor of the inn. It seemed he wasn't the only one with the idea, as a group of kids had filled a table, and were being quite loud.

"B-But Ducker!" one of them, the only girl in the group, squealed, "Can't we wait until another boss? I don't think we're ready… Keita, say something!"

"C'mon Keita, this could be our chance!" a boy in a stupid hat and yellow clothing tried, "We could get ourselves to a higher level! The boss has got to be worth a lot of EXP."

"I don't know…" a boy taller than the rest pondered a moment. He must be Keita. "Sachi isn't ready for such a thing… She's only level four…" Kai decided to leave the group and head out onto the streets. Maybe he could get some equipment from an NPC store. He headed toward the market. On his way, he accidentally bumped into someone much taller.

"Sorry," Kai said, looking at the man. He had silvery grey hair, and an expression that suggested he'd seen tough times. The man wore some intense fullbody steel armor. He must have been strong.

"No, no, it's fine," the man replied offering his hand. "My name is… Heathcliff." His eyes looked distant at Kai shook his hand. Slowly, Heathcliff smiled.

"I'm Kai, nice to meet you sir," was the reply. Heathcliff merely shook his head. "Please, no need to be formal. We're all trapped in here, so we might as well be familiar." Kai completely agreed. "I get the feeling we'll meet again. Take care, Kai." With that, Heathcliff slowly wandered away, looking around as if it were his first time in town.

"Heathcliff…" Kai muttered to himself. He watched the man turn a corner and disappear from his view. "Yeah… Keheheh… I'll remember you."

**Sorry it's so short! I'm getting used to writing longer chapters, so… yeah. Anyways, I hope you liked it! Please, leave reviews and tell me how it can be improved! Of course, I may or may not listen if it directly interferes with the plot I have in mind.**


	3. The Beater is Born

**_Whew, this took a lot of work. I'm still getting used to the regular writing style of this kind of story. I'm gonna start doing these from only Kirito and Asuna's view. I hope you guys enjoy this, because I'm loving writing this. I'm gonna have every 5th chapter be a special chapter, and will put some things not really canon to the main storyline. Alright, this is the point where things start to change, but I'll try and keep a few canon events into the story, though they might go a bit differently._**

* * *

_"__Great leaders are willing to sacrifice the numbers to save the people. Poor leaders sacrifice the people to save the numbers."_

_-Simon Sinek_

Kirito trotted slowly after the rest of the group through the brush, his blade heavy across his back. Even though he'd spent most of his stat points on STR, the excessive walking had made the blade seem heavier over time. He shifted his weight, hoping to get the feeling to go away. Beside him, Asuna carefully tried to keep pace with him, looking at the ground to avoid anything that could trip her up. She seemed less tense than yesterday, when she'd attempted to slice him in two for offering her some dinner. Still, her guard was up. Kirito hoped that she'd be more open during combat. If not, they were going to have some trouble.

"You two will do fine," a deep voice resonated beside Kirito. There, towering above him, stood Agil. The dark skinned man wore a sleeveless shirt and a metal chest plate, as well as the rest of his starting gear. Still, with the double sided axe he swung around, Agil was not a man to mess with. "I can tell. You're both serious about getting out of this place." The man offered Kirito a relaxing smile. "I can tell you're itching to lead too, boy. You'll get your turn."

"That'll be the day when I drop out of this little group," someone spoke up behind him. Kirito turned, coming face-to-face with Kai. "Hello, I don't believe we've met." Kai had a kind smile on his face, and offered his hand in greeting to Kirito. The boy shook it slowly, not sure of what to make of Kai.

"Kirito. Nice to meet you," he replied slowly.

"Hi, I'm Yuki!" the little girl took him by surprise, nearly tackling him. "Hey, do you wanna play tag on the way? Or I Spy?"

"Hey now, we have a lot of time for that later, Yuki," Agil intercepted. "For now, let's focus on getting through the first boss."

"Ok!"

"Sorry about her," Kai apologized, "She isn't quite used to the fighting spirit yet."

"Why should she? She's just a little kid," Asuna spoke up for the first time in hours. "She shouldn't have to know what it's like to fight for her life… None of us should!" She trudged ahead of the three, her fists clenched. Kirito sighed and rubbed the back of his head.

"She's not too keen on being here," Kirito explained. Kai nodded in understanding. Kirito noticed that Kai's long hair was now in a thin ponytail, no longer messy and unkept. "What happened to your hair?"

"Hm?"

"Your hair. It was messy before," Kirito pointed out. Kai gave him a curious glance. _Crap, he knows I was looking at him before, now,_ Kirito caught his mistake too late. Kai eased up on his glare.

"Yuki decided I needed a makeover," he smiled weakly. "She said she wanted me to look more…" he sighed, "more like a prince…"

"Yep!" Yuki chimed him, jumping onto Kai's back. With a bit of effort, he successfully avoided dropping the girl, carrying her on his back. "Cause he's super strong!"

"Strong, huh?" Kirito inquired. _He's probably around level eight, _Kirito determined_, about the level where someone skilled can take down a decent pack of Dire Wolves in only a few hits. Of course anyone now would think that's strong._ "Yeah, I can see that." Kirito decided not to dash the little girl's expectations. He then turned to Kai. "So how did you two come across one another? Are you family?" Kai looked down and blushed. He wouldn't have…

"Kai-san saved me!" Yuki spoke up first. "He beat up wolves!" Kirito noticed that even though Yuki sounded excited, she was shaking. Was it fear, or just her childish energy?

"Anyone can beat up wolves, Yuki," Asuna, who seemed to pop in from nowhere, spoke softly to the young girl. "Even someone like him."

"Hey now," Kai sighed, crossing his arms. Looking at him with his shiny iron armor and white underclothes, he sort of did look like a prince. "Look, we didn't get off to a great start… My name's Kai, nice to meet you." Kai offered his hand to Asuna. For a second, the girl paused to think. Slowly though, she shook the boy's hand.

"Asuna. Please add –san to my name," she replied. It seemed like she was in better spirits, I still expect you to work your butt off to get us all out of here."

"You have my word, Asuna-san," Kai replied. Even though it was a split second, Kirito noticed a faint glimmer appear in the boy's eyes. "Keheheh… Yeah, I'll get you guys out…" Kirito made a mental note to keep a close eye on Kai. Something about him shook him as weird. The group ahead of them stopped, and Diavel stood in front of a massive door.

"Well, here we are," the blue haired knight spoke up. About fifty people had shown up to face the boss. Not much, really. "Inside this door is the dungeon, and further in is the boss. We'll be heading directly in. I know things are tense, and this boss will be hard, but…" Diavel hesitated, "I don't want any casualties today. If you're getting low on health, pull back and heal up. Even if it's against my command." He looked specifically at Kai and Yuki, the latter rubbing the former's head. "You two, you'll be in the vanguard." Than he looked to Asuna, Kirito, and Agil. "You three will be Squadron F. I need you to take care of Illfang the Kobold Lord's minions. Agil, I know you don't have a party. Join up with them." Agil looked sheepishly at Kirito.

"It was worth a shot," he chuckled, "I was hoping to take some of the rewards for myself when we won."

"If we win," Kirito pointed out, pulling up the party invitation for Agil.

"Only if you think like that," the big man replied. Kirito had no response as the new member joined. "If you want to beat this game, you have to know you'll win. Isn't confidence something that teenagers are in large supply of?" Agil's laugh was deep and booming.

"Only the dumb ones…" Kirito muttered to himself, "but he has a point…"

Asuna could only stare at the boy named Kirito as the group walked through the dungeons. How could he hold himself with such confidence? They were going to die. Each and every one of them. Couldn't he see that? Couldn't any of them see that? By trying to challenge the boss, they were only accelerating the inevitable. That was the reason she was there. Asuna wanted to die. Plain and simple. She wanted to get out as fast as possible. If that meant at the hands of a huge monster, then so be it. The less she suffered, the better. Maybe then she could finally escape that creep her father wanted her to marry.

Asuna's attention than turned to Kai and the little girl, Yuki. Despite Asuna's conviction, she found the little girl cute, maybe even like herself when she was younger. So carefree and innocent… _So why is she with such a boy?_ Asuna asked herself, _That little hero story can't be all that happened…_ The auburn haired girl decided to keep an eye on Kai, just to see if he would be any trouble.

An itch befell Asuna's face, but she simply ignored it. Besides, that would mean abandoning her hood, allowing other people to see her clearly. If she was going to die, she didn't want other people to become attached to her, or God forbid the other way around.

The players up front were having no trouble killing the monsters. What did Kirito call them yesterday, mobs? Yeah, that was it. It was pointless knowledge because she was going to throw herself at the boss, anyway, but it was nice to see someone trying to be helpful. "We're here," Diavel stopped at a large, cast-iron door. "Inside is Illfang the Kobold Lord. Remember, once he hits 1/3of his last health bar, his attacks change. Be ready for that. Squadron F and G, do you know your jobs?"

"Squadron F is to kill the Ruin Kobold Sentinels tat spawn," Agil confirmed. Diavel nodded his head in approval, than looked at Kai.

"Squadron G, including you, are the forward attack unit," Kai had an uneasy look in his eyes. _Did he finally grasp how dangerous this is,_ Asuna wondered. "Diavel, I have a request."

"Yes?"

"I'd like for Yuki to join Squadron F," there was an uneasy murmur as eyes fell upon the little girl. She was huddled behind Kai, peeking around his back. It seemed like she finally understood what she was meant to do would probably mean she was going to die. Diavel seemed lost in thought for a moment. Than he looked at Asuna and Kirito.

"Kirito, invite Yuki to your party," he finally said. A sigh of relief came from Kai's direction, and the little girl hugged him. He whispered a few words into her ear before sending her to Kirito. After a few moments, a text box flashed in front of Asuna. She couldn't help but smile.

_Yuki has joined the party!_

"I'll be in your care," Yuki bowed to the group, "please… um… take care of me?" She looked at Kai questioningly. He nodded in return. Kirito patted the little girl's head.

"Is everyone ready?" Diavel asked. There were no objections. "Kai, to me." The long haired boy pushed past the main group, and helped Diavel open the doors to the boss room. _Here,_ Asuna thought to herself, _this is it…_ Yuki looked up at Asuna curiously. A roar broke out from deep in the room, the doors shutting behind them. A large, kangaroo-like monster fell from the ceiling, glaring at the raid group. Asuna shuddered as she watched the four health bars fill, staring at the massive beast.

"Squadrons A, B, and E, take formation!" Kai yelled. He and Diavel were at the forefront of the group, Diavel ducking behind his shield, sword at the ready above him. Kai seemed much more relaxed, standing straight up with his curved blade to his side. Eighteen people ran up to the front with them, creating a shield barrier.

"Asuna!" she heard Kirito call. Both Agil and Yuki were doing their best to defeat one of Illfang's minions, Kirito taking a second. A third was headed towards the main party. "Get him!" Kirito took a hit, staggering back. Asuna hesitated and stared at the massive boss, which had already wiped out half of a party. _Even if I die,_ she told herself, _I should give them a chance…_ With her mind made up, Asuna charged at the remaining Sentinel. She struck it directly in the back, jabbing her rapier into it.

"Squadron B, pull back!" she heard Diavel yell, "Squadron C, take their place on the west flank! Squad D, help Squad F with those Sentinels!" Immediately, the Sentinel turned to face Asuna, and struck her back while she was distracted. It leapt at her, about to swing down when it shattered into a dance of rainbow polygons. Two men stood behind the shattered remains, one of them Kaibou.

"C'mon, let's kick some ass!" the cactus haired boy growled, helping her up. Illfang's health hit the third bar, and three more Sentinels spawned. "I'll make it out alive!" Asuna could only stare in wonder at everyone's conviction. Agil and Yuki were a perfect team. For such a little girl, Yuki was using a two-handed mace with a large, iron bulb at the end. She was easily overpowering the Sentinels. Asuna glanced at the girl's level, just like Kirito had taught her, and her eyes widened. That little girl was just a level below her? But how?

"Diavel, stop!" Kai yelled. Asuna didn't know how much time had passed, but Illfang was now at half of his last health bar. She watched, stunned, as Diavel charged straight at the beast, who had changed weapons as the blue haired man predicted. But it was a katana.

"For everyone, I will kill you!" Diavel yelled as he plunged at the boss. The giant monster had no trouble striking the commander, knocking him across the room. Everyone faltered as Kirito ran to check up on the fallen man. Kai took his place.

"All troops, move out!" Kai cried. A large cheer of determination rose from the battered group of fighters. Asuna looked back at Kirito. Diavel was gone. "Squadron F, to me!" Kai shouted. For the first time, Asuna could clearly see how Kai fought. She could also see how Yuki had gained so much power. The boy fought like a demon, using everything at his disposal. With every strike he landed on the massive beast, he never stopped moving, even using the boss's own body as a springboard to retreat. _I… I can do this,_ Asuna told herself, _These people are fighting with everything they have… Why can't I, too?_

"Asuna!" Kirito yelled, running past her. "Follow my lead!" Asuna quickly followed the boy, watching Kirito do the exact same thing as Diavel had done. He charged straight at the beast. Illfang swung down his katana at the pest.

"Wait, no!" she yelled. She tried to run faster, but it was too late. Kirito was… deflecting the blade? Illfang was temporarily open for attack. The auburn haired girl locked eyes with Kirito. _So that's his plan…_ For the first time in a month, Asuna smiled. _We can win._ In the split second after Illfang was stunned, Asuna jabbed her rapier into the beast's belly. This tactic repeated itself, the others all taking shots at it whenever they could. Then Kirito slipped. He was a second too slow, and the katana collided with his body, knocking him back. Before she knew it, Illfang had struck at her as well. Seeing the blade in advance, Asuna quickly dove out of the way. Her coat was shredded completely. _Damn,_ she sighed, striking as best she could. Kirito took his time recovering. Asuna could see the monster's health was only a few points away from death. Illfang swung down at her, and she redirected the attack to hit one of the many stone pillars in the room, making it become stuck.

"RAAAAAAAAH!" Kirito roared as he charged at Illfang, digging his blade deep into the monster's crimson body. With a mighty roar, the giant beast shattered.

Twenty seconds. It was quiet for twenty seconds as everyone came to realize what just happened. Then, with a great cheer, the remaining twenty one players celebrated. Kirito looked down at his screen.

_Congratulations!_

_Last Attack Bonus: Coat of Midnight_

_Advanced to Level 11!_

Kirito felt a large hand pat his back. "Good job, boy," it was Agil, "We couldn't have done it without you." The confident face of Diavel flashed in Kirito's mind. Then, the face of a defeated man.

_"__Take care of them," _Diavel's words rang in Kirito's ears, _"I know you can do what I couldn't. After all, we beta-testers have to lead those who don't know what to do." _Then the man burst into shards. Diavel. He was a beta tester as well. But unlike Kirito, he did his best to help guide the people. Just like Argo, who was the one who wrote the guide book the NPCs handed out to everyone. And Kirito, what had he done? He'd gone off his own. And he was ashamed.

_I will do this, _Kirito punched the floor, _I will do whatever I can to get everyone free. I won't let others die… Not again…_

"Thanks," Kirito finally replied to Agil, "but it took everyone to make this happen."

"I have a question," Kai spoke up, "From what I saw of the guidebook, the weapon was completely different. How did you know what to do to avoid the secondary stage attacks?"

"I bet he was a beta-tester!" Kiabou shouted, "He's like the rest of those scum and wanted the glory all to himself!"

"Get out of here you stupid beta-tester!"

"We can do this without the likes of you!"

"Hey, Kirito was doing his best to help you all. You should show some appreciation," Agil desperately tried to calm the situation, but with no luck. The mob had formed.

_They're so ungrateful…_ Kirio shuddered, _Do I really have to fight for people who will hate me all the way? No, not just me. The other beta-testers as well._ A name flashed through his mind. _Argo._ No, he couldn't let that happen. Especially considering all that Diavel had sacrificed for these people. _I won't like this, but I have to do it… For all the others…_ With the last of his effort, Kirito mustered up the best evil laugh he could.

"Ah… Ahahahaha!" Kirito did his best to sneer.

"Kirito?" Agil looked stunned.

"You dare to compare me to those noobs?" Kirito slowly stood, equipping the _Coat of Midnight. _He knew that he looked sinister. Slowly, he turned to face the opposing players. "During the beta test, I got to levels far above anyone else. To floors where normal mobs use those skills, and much more." He slowly walked towards the stairway, through the crowd of people. "Most of the others didn't even know how to level up. You insult me by comparing me to them."

"You… You bastard!" Kiabou growled, "You're not just a beta-tester, you're a cheater, too!"

"He's a beater!" someone shouted. Kirito felt a pang of pain. _I'm… I seem really despicable to them right now, don't I…? But… I have to keep going…_

"Yes… Hahaha! Beater, I like the sound of that!" Kirito continued to walk off. Then he stopped at the bottom of the stairwell, turning back. _This might make them change their thinking after a while._ "Diavel was a beta-tester. A good one at that. Would you say the same things about him if he was still alive?" Without waiting, Kirito made his way up. Halfway up, he felt a hand rest on his shoulder. Behind him was an auburn haired girl. The name _Asuna_ hung over her head. _So she's the one I partied up with_.

"P-Please, I want to come with you," she said. Kirito softened his gaze towards her, and shook her hand off of his shoulder.

"No, I have to go alone."

"But why!? You could help us so much!"

"Because you need to lead them," Kirito replied. It was true that she could lead them. _I could see that look in her eyes,_ Kirito reminded himself, _She wants to die. Maybe if I give her responsibility, she'll live long enough for us to get out of here._ "And a small group can only go so far… Asuna, if anyone invites you to a guild and you trust them… Then don't hesitate to join them."

"How do you know my name?" she asked. Kirito had to laugh. "Seriously! You told me how to see levels, but not names!"

"Look at the top left of your HUD," Kirito pointed out. Her eyes widened. Kirito smiled softly, and raised his menu, putting Asuna as the party head and leaving it. "Good luck Asuna." With that, he went through the portal to the next floor.

* * *

**Hello again! I'm gonna try and make longer chapters, but this might be the average length. I'll put more POVs as the characters come, but this will be it for now. I'm going to focus on Kirito's story. After all, he's the main character, not Kai. Anyway, see you in chapter 4!**


	4. Finding Your Strength

_"__Those who do not weep, do not see."_

_-Victor Hugo, Les Misérables_

_The day is December 31__st__, 2022_

_The time is 7:15 AM_

_Good morning Kirito_

And with that, the blaring _BZZT BZZT BZZT BZZT_ of the alarm clock began. Kirito groaned as he slowly woke, slamming his fist down on the alarm clock, silencing it. Twenty seven days since that first boss, and Diavel still haunted his dreams. The man's terrified pleas before he shattered into pieces before Kirito's very eyes.

_"__Why are you alive and not me?" _the Diavel in his head screamed, _"I could lead them! They trust me! I should be alive, not you!"_

"Shut up!" Kirito yelled, covering his ears, "Just shut up!" He felt tears dribble down his face. "I… I'm doing the best I can… I'm doing everything I can… Please just shut up…" _I'm so weak… I have to get stronger…_

Outside, the _Sunshine Forest _dungeon was as beautiful as ever. There was only one town in the center of the map, Nikko Town. To the far east was the dungeon, which a few groups had been working on clearing. Kirito slowly got dressed, ignoring the demons that haunted him, and went outside. The sun shone brightly, despite it being winter in the outside world. Despite the chills in Kirito's mind. He glanced at the Teleport Gate Plaza, watching people go to and fro from it.

"You're still not over it, are you?" a familiar voice echoed behind him. He sighed and looked at the ground, thinking about what to say.

"I… I need to be stronger, Argo," he replied, turning to face the hooded girl. "I need to know the best places to gain EXP." Her red mark whiskers almost glowed under her hood.

"Well, don't be surprised if someone else is there too, Ki-bou," she replied, leaning against the building behind her.

"Why, who else has that information?" Kirito was curious, who would pay Argo's outrageous prices?

"The leader of some guild called _The Royal Sentinels_," she replied, looking up at the sky. "They formed a few weeks after you guys cleared out the first floor."

"I'd ask how you know that, but I know better than to question The Rat," Kirito replied, chuckling. Argo pouted.

"Hurtful," she spoke in a sing-song voice. Her expression became serious, "Hey, Ki-bou… Do you really think just being stronger will save people? I mean, I know you've been fighting on the front lines, but… That last boss fight… Floor 19… I heard you almost died because you were so reckless…"

"I have to, it's the only way I can-"

"Shut up!" Kirito was surprised. He'd never heard Argo yell at him before. "If you die, nothing matters anymore!" Kirito found himself being hugged by the girl. "I can't lose my best source of income… Do you know how much I make from people asking what I know about _The Black Swordsman_?" Kirito looked into her eyes. She was serious. But he saw tears around the corners of her eyes. _She's not saying everything, but she's right,_ Kirito admitted, _What use am I dead?_

"I'll be more careful," he promised. Argo turned away for a moment, but he could tell she was wiping away her tears. "Alright? So where are those locations?"

"Two hours south the woods are filled with high level bug monsters, you can gain a lot of EXP from them," Argo told him, "For every 100 monsters you kill, a miniboss appears, Inzei the Wasp King. He spews venomous sprays that give you a _Poisoned_ status. The monster doesn't attack often, but it moves quickly and is hard to hit unless you take out its wings. It uses its stinger and dive bombs you to attack."

"Thanks, Argo," he turned, heading south and giving her a wave.

True to her word, it took him about two hours to reach the grounds that she spoke of. Also true to her word, there were two girls fighting off a massive wasp monster. The monster had two health bars, and it was in the red on the last bar. Above its head was the name _Inzei the Wasp King. _Kirito recognized one of them, dressed in full battle armor and wielding a stick with a spiked steel ball at the end. Her steel helmet resembled that or a Norse warrior from stories, with small wings at the sides. Her long chestnut hair flowed from the back side of it. With her, a girl wearing deep red armor, the same kind Klein wore minus the bandana. In her hands was a large spear with a golden handle, and a deep black tip. She had light brown skin, and from what Kirito could see, bright purple eyes. She must have been about the same size and age as Kirito.

"Yuki, take out the other wing!" the girl shouted. Her voice was light and smooth, almost like a movie actress's. Yuki obeyed the order, moving quickly towards the toppling wasp. It sprayed a green venom from its stinger, but Yuki quickly dodged out of the way. The woman took that opportunity to attack. She leapt high into the air, piercing the wing. The wasp king let out a wretched hiss as the last of its health faded away and exploded into rainbow shards.

"We did it!" Yuki squealed, giving the older girl a high five. Then she noticed Kirito. "Kirito-san!" She ran up to him for a hug. Kirito welcomed the giggling girl with open arms as the other girl cautiously approached him.

"Kirito…" she muttered under her breath, "Kirito, Kirito… I know that name…" _Oh no… Does she recognize me?_ The girl gasped, drawing back. "Yuki, get away from him." She became stern.

"Why, Lady Shade?" the little girl asked.

"Don't you know who that is? That's the Beater, the _Black Swordsman_," Shade replied. Yuki smiled up at Kirito.

"But he's my friend! We beat the first floor together!" Kirito couldn't help but rub the back of his neck, embarrassed.

"You… what?" Lady Shade seemed surprised, "But didn't you and the _Kyo_ clear that boss together?"

"Yup, we all beat him together and had fun!" Yuki didn't even budge. Kirito had to hand it to the girl. "C'mon, we're almost at Asaiko's level! 604 more EXP for me until level 30!" So she was already so strong… That was impressive. Even he was only five levels ahead of her.

"Yuki," Kirito spoke up, "what happened to Kai?" Yuki beamed at him, "He's-"

"None of your business," Lady Shade finished for her. She didn't even hide her glare from him. "Yuki, we have people to protect." She took the girl's hand and both of them walked away.

"Bye Kirito-san!" Yuki waved anyway. Kirito couldn't help but smile.

"She's a cutie, isn't she?" Surprised, Kirito quickly drew his sword, readying himself into a battle stance. Beside him stood Argo.

"Geez… Did you sneak up on me?" Kirito sheathed his blade, crossing his arms and giving her an annoyed look.

"It's pretty easy when you're entranced, Ki-bou," the girl giggled, poking his forehead. Kirito flicked hers in return. "Ouch!" He chuckled.

"You need to work on your DEF stat," Kirito criticized. Argo pouted once again.

"I'm not usually seen unless I want to be," she argued. Kirito decided not to argue that. Anyone with a high enough tracking skill, like him, could easily find her if they wanted. "For a good price, I could tell you where those two girls are going. Especially the girl with the red armor."

"I think I'll pass," Kirito looked around, spotting a wasp monster a few feet away from him. "Besides, what would I do with that information?"

"Stalk the love of your life."

"I'd rather not make attachments here," Kirito grunted, destroying the wasp with a single sword skill. At level 35, he was far above the average range, which was about 28. "Even with you."

"That hurts, Ki-bou," Argo teased, "You can be a hero, but even heroes need sidekicks."

"No."

"Fine," Argo watched Kirito train for a while, studying his fighting habits. There was incredible skill, yes, but a lot would go to his overwhelming power. Without the strength to back it, his skill would mean nothing. The opposite also held true. Kirito knew this, and he'd even explained it to her after he'd beaten the Martial Arts _Extra Skill_ Quest. It took an equal balance between strength and skill. Once the kill count hit 100, however, the mobs stopped spawning. "Want some help?"

"I'm capable," Kirito replied, hearing the rustling of leaves. He took a battle stance as the remains of the most recent kills formed together, creating a large wasp in the sky. Above its head was the name _Inzei the Wasp King_. It glared at Kirito with a hatred that seemed to span days, as if it knew that another man had cast down its subjects to the rapid codes from which they came. The angered wasp let out a hate filled hiss. "Shut up." Kirito charged at the flying monster. For a second, he thought he could take it down easily. Then it moved. Within a second, the wasp was behind him, charging straight at him. He felt the sharp end of the stinger impale his back, and quickly draw back out. "Damn."

"I told you, he's fast," Argo taunted, "Do you still not want some help?"

"I can do this!" Kirito shouted back. With a mighty cry, he charged at the insect again, determined not to let it take him off guard again. The insect flew to his side, charging straight at him at amazing speeds. Kirito weaved, spinning so the miniboss only grazed him. Kirito's health hit 80%. "Shit… Not even landed a hit…" He glared at the imposing challenge. "I have to do this! HYAAAAARGH!" Kirito ran at the beast, but slower this time. He'd have to rely on counterattacks, despite what he'd seen from the two girls who'd faced it only a half hour earlier. The Wasp King decided to face him head on this time. Big mistake. Kirito extended his sword arm, aiming carefully. His target hit his mark. The wasp was completely impaled through the head. The first bar of health depleted completely, but it backed away off of the sword.

"Hey, watch out!" Argo yelled, "Its attack pattern is about to change, and you haven't even slowed it down!" Kirito nodded, never taking his eyes off of his enemy. The wasp's eyes flashed red, letting out another hiss. Its tail twitched, and it spewed out a wide, venomous mist. Kirito went to move. "You need to dodge either forward or backward!" But it was too late, as Kirito was used to moving to his sides. The attack struck him head on, depleting his health to 50% and giving him a poisoned status.

"Shit…" Kirito eyed his health as it slowly shrunk despite his _Battle Healing _skill. Even after ten seconds his health had gone down to 46%.

"Ki-bou…" Argo was fidgeting in her spot, her dagger ready, "Let me help you." Kirito nodded, his gaze flashing over to the worried Argo for a split second. "Thanks. Prepare to die!" Argo charged at the wasp. "Ki-bou, I need you to distract it!" Kirito immediately ran at the monster, giving out a _Howl_ to keep its attention. He looked at his health. _40% and still depleting… How long does the poison last?_ Argo sliced at the wasp's wings, taking off a hefty 50% of the remaining health bar. Kirito scowled at his own stupidity. "Now, get it while it's stunned!" The _Black Swordsman _obeyed, slashing wildly at the beast who dared to take his life. With a final thrust into the wasp king's head, it exploded. Argo quickly pulled out a green crystal and shoved it in Kirito's face. "Antidote!" With a small explosion, the _Poisoned_ status disappeared. Kirito glanced at his health. _Wha… 4%... _Kirito shook with fear. _I was so close… To dying…_

"I'm… I'm still weak…" Kirito simply pushed away the congratulatory screen in front of him. "This should have been easy…"

"Hey, new enemies are always a challenge," Argo tried to comfort him, resting a hand on his shoulder.

"But I've never lost so much health from one," Kirito replied, healing himself with a crystal. "What good am I dead…? I promised him…" Argo slapped him.

"You need to get over it, bub," Argo was glaring at him. The girl who felt so bad knowing her faulty information had got Diavel killed was angry at him. "Look, everyone dies. You and me will die. But the question I ask myself is… what will I be doing when I die? Will I be helping others, or wallowing in pity over something that happened a long time ago?" She took a deep breath and looked Kirito straight in the eyes. "When Diavel died, he died knowing that he could trust you to help others. Don't you DARE prove him wrong!" Kirito could only stand in shock. He'd never thought that way. Every day, he'd blamed himself for doing nothing as Diavel's health slipped away. But he knew there had been nothing he could do. Diavel decided to sacrifice himself to give someone else the confidence to take his place. Someone who could much further than himself. He didn't die for the other members of the raid. He died for Kirito.

Tears fell from Kirito's face, and he fell to his knees. "Every day…" Kirito sobbed, his tears hitting the ground and shattering into rainbow colored polygons. "Every day I fight to get stronger. To protect everyone else… But that isn't what I needed to do, is it…?" Argo, knelt beside the fallen man, rubbing his back. "What I really needed to do was lead others so they could protect themselves… Just like Diavel…"

"Make him proud," Argo said, "Make me proud too."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Ho boy, this was easy to write. I've had a lot of experience with regret, and the first time was a doozy. I decided to put a little of me in Kirito this time. It's a personal story I'd rather not go in to, but suffice it to say, I was about the same as Kirito here. Unlike him, I didn't have someone to help me through it, I had to do that myself. But yeah, this one was kinda personal. Sorry it's so short, but I don't think I could have added much more.**


	5. I Want to be Strong

_"__Enough madness? Enough? And how do you measure madness?"_

_-The Joker, Batman: Arkham Asylum_

Kai stared out from the balcony of the Guild House on the 26th floor. Tomorrow was the day that the clearing group would meet together once again for the boss strategy meeting. February 28th. Today was very foggy over the island based landscape. There were over forty islands on the floor, not including the private islands on which houses could be built. Kai and his members had bought the house as soon as they could find affordable land. No, it wasn't the best house in the floor, but at four stories high with around twenty-five bedrooms, five bathrooms, and two kitchens, it suited more than just their own needs. Three of his guildmates, the blacksmith, the second in command, and the tailor, had gone into the town of _Irrendu _to get supplies. The other two, his best friend and his tactician, had gone onto the dungeon island, _Bethathens_, in order to train. Those two were behind, at just under LVL 36. Kai himself was at LVL 38. The fog over the islands thickened. The royal white robes that covered Kai seemed to absorb the fog. His tailor had fashioned armored fabrics with white Italian nobleman and fantasy noblewoman designs. Kai's however, had lapis lazuli trimming in stark contrast to the red streak of hair over his right eye. It also included a half cape that covered his left arm.

"Are you ready to meet them?" a nasally voice spoke behind him. Kai turned to face _The Rat._ She had taken her hood off, and he could clearly see her curly auburn hair and gleaming light brown eyes. "You've been a great customer. I'd hate to see you get killed off and take my income with you."

"I have no need to worry. Heathcliff is a friend of mine," Kai replied, gazing back over the fog. He pulled at the buttons lining down the center of his uniform. "They should be back by now…"

"That's why I came," Argo crossed her arms, giving him a look that suggested that she cared only a little, "there's trouble in town. I think you should go." Kai nodded, opening the trade menu and giving Argo 200 Col.

"If it involves my friends, then I will be present," he replied, walking back inside to teleport to town. "I won't let it happen again."

* * *

_The little boy ran towards the school playground. He and his friends always went to school and went to classes together. Of course, he had to be first. He was the oldest, and had to make sure everyone got there alright. Even the teachers asked him what to do when they wanted something from his friends. Or their parents if it was serious._

_As usual, he arrived first. He waited outside for his friends, other students going in. Some of them greeted him. Some of them glared at him. A few of the girls giggled when they passed him. Being in fifth grade, he was looked up to by the underclassmen. Some of the girls, as he'd found out from his best friend who was in first grade, found him cute. He knew a lot of them would be going to the same middle school as him, and hoped they could still be friends. Besides, he wasn't really into that mushy girl stuff about relationships and all. He preferred his fights with the school bully, Jerry. The boy had eyes everywhere, so he could always tell when Jerry was up to trouble._

_ "__Hey!" a girl in a pair of shorts and a 'Hello Kitty' t-shirt waved as she got out of her mother's car. "Where is everyone?" The little girl poked his head, smiling down at him. Another car pulled up and four more kids streamed out, each running towards the boy and girl._

_ "__There they are!"_

_ "__Hey guys!" The group hugged, then started going inside._

_ "__So are you and Elise gonna get together, Kai?" the little girl asked the first boy. Kai shook his head, his hair about as long as hers, at his shoulders._

_ "__I don't like that," he replied, "I like fighting."_

_ "__Just because you're dad's a martial arts teacher-" one of the boys started._

_ "__HE'S NOT MY DAD!" Kai yelled, his eye twitching. The boy backed away in fear. "They're… they're not my family…"_

_ "__But you live with them," another girl said meekly. Kai gave her a soft look._

_ "__Yeah… But it's not the same…" The group was silent after that. They were in the hallway when it happened. A loud _BANG! _Sounded through the halls, drawing their attention. A grown man was holding a gun, firing at kids left and right. "Guys, get out of here!" It was too late. The man saw them. Kai tried to run, but felt a sharp pain in his leg. He stumbled to the floor, his friends tried to drag him away._

_ "__C'mon, it's all of us or none of us," the same girl as before said. Shots rang out from behind them. It took him a moment, but Kai realized he was on the floor again. He looked around, his friends lying next to him. "Guys?" he stared at him. He felt something wet flowing under him. He knew what happened, but he didn't want to admit it. "G-Guys?" Kai looked up, the muzzle of the terrorist's rifle staring him dead in the face. "I… I'm so weak…" _BANG!

* * *

Kirito wandered the streets of _Irrendu_, hoping to find Argo. She said she'd meet him here to discuss the formation of the new guild, the _Knights of the Blood_. Appearently it was being led by a man named Heathcliff, and Kirito wanted to know more about the man he was going to be working with. He waited around an alley near the town square, just in view of the teleport gate. After a few minutes of waiting, however, he started hearing the whispers around him.

"What's that beater doing here?"

"Shouldn't he be off somewhere else?"

"I bet he's going to try and buy better equipment."

"That idiot won't get anything from my shop. Not even a health crystal."

Kirito sighed, keeping his eye on the teleport gate. Than someone in a navy blue robe cut his view. "Please move," he said, looking into the face of the hooded figure. They didn't even budge. "Didn't you hear me? Please move out of the way, I'm expecting someone."

"You're the infamous _Black Swordsman_, hm?" a girl's voice rang out from under the hood. Two other joined her, one in a deep red robe, and the other in a dark brown one. The costumes for the one in the red and navy robes were identical. They resembled a low cut dress at the torso, and split into a tuxedo like shape near the bottom. They had long sleeves with frills at the end. The bottoms also resembled that of a simple dress, like one that Kirito's aunt would wear to a nice western restaurant.

The deep brown one wore a costume similar to a suit worn during the 17th century by westerners. A long cape draped around him over it, though. Strapped to his back was a giant Warhammer with a spike at one side.

The girl in the navy fabrics turned to her friend in the red. "Shade, are you sure he's the one? He looks so puny."

"I'm certain, just look at him. All black, even the sword," Shade responded. "Besides, he's been at all the raid meetings."

"That's true…" there was a pause. Kirito looked at them with confusion. Finally, the three of them took off their hoods. The girl in the middle was just a little bit taller than Kirito. She had piercing blue eyes and long, wavy blonde hair that parted in the middle like that of a princess. Her face was free of blemishes, but it gave him a stern look. He knew he was being sized up. To her left, in the brown nobleman costume, was a man with a rock hard face. He almost looked like he could be Agil's cousin. He had the same hard look as the dark skinned man had when in battle, and a scar that traced up his left jaw. Unlike Agil, however, the man had black hair in cornrows that fused together into a ponytail about three inches long. His eyes reminded Kirito of coal. Dark and hard. To the same girl's right stood a familiar sight. Someone he saw on the 20th floor. Lady Shade.

"Tell me, boy," the girl in the middle spoke up, "Who is it that you're waiting for?"

"It isn't your business," Kirito grumbled, looking away at the floor.

"Answer her ladyship Elena at once, kid, or-" Elena, the girl in the middle, turned to her brown robed compatriot and slapped him. "W-Wha…?"

"This isn't your duty, Jagri," the girl spoke calmly. Even though Jagri was a foot taller than her, she gave him and icy cold glare. Elena looked at Kirito with a soft glance for a moment, before returning to her stone sternness. "It happens by luck that we find you. I was growing curious of the man that our little Yuki had grown so fond of." _They know Yuki, _Kirito wondered, _Of course. That girl… Lady Shade… She and Yuki were training together. Are they part of a guild?_ Kirito's eyes gaped, _They're the Royal Sentinels._ Kirito decided to play it safe and be respectful.

"What is it that you want to know?" Kirito asked, "I'm afraid that asking who I'm meeting with isn't going to help that." Elena's eyes glimmered.

"A man can be judged oftentimes not by his own reputation, but the reputation of his friends," she replied. The look in her eyes showed amusement. "We could do this the easy way, or we could make a little wager."

"Elena, that isn't a good idea," Lady Shade spoke up. She seemed worried. "This guy is known for being super strong. If you challenge him-"

"If I challenge him it will be of my own regard," Elena glared at her subordinate. _Is she the leader?_ Kirito asked himself. "What say you, _Black Swordsman_? If I win a duel with you, you spill the identities of everyone on your friends list. If you win…"

"If I win, you forfeit your positions in the boss raid tomorrow," Kirito said. _I know that seems despicable, but I want to make sure they stay alive._ Elena's eyes glimmered.

"A good deal. If I lose, we will not be in the raid," she agreed. _She's planning something. I don't think I can trust her._ "To the square." Kirito reluctantly followed the three, and a window popped up in front of him.

_Elena has challenged you to a duel_

_To 50%_

Kirito accepted, and drew his sword. "I won't take it easy," he said. Elena smiled confidently, drawing a dagger.

"I hope not," she replied. The countdown was at 5.

4.

3.

2.

1.

_START. _Elena quickly leapt to the side as Kirito charged at her. Her left hand thrust outward, and Kirito felt something graze his cheek. His health fell to 98%. _She's using throwing knives? _His eyes narrowed as he attempted to block her movement, using quick footwork to rapidly change his direction of motion. Elena kept backing away, throwing knives at him. _She's using a cheap tactic, but it's working… I'm already at 86%..._

"I won't let you win so easily!" Ignoring the projectiles, Kirito sped at Elena. It didn't even take him two seconds. Her eyes wide in surprise, Kirito slashed at her. The girl quickly tried to deflect his blade, but she wasn't strong enough. With one hit, her health hit 80%.

"D-Damn! You caught me off guard!" Elena tumbled back, the ground knocking off another 3% from her health. "I won't let that happen again!" Elena surged forward, not for a moment keeping still. It became obvious to Kirito that she had more skill than he did. In three strikes, she took off 5% of his health, leaving him at 73%. _She doesn't have much in her STR stat,_ Kirito realized, _Everything must be in DEX and SPD._ Using that to his advantage, Kirito blocked whatever he could. He waited for an open spot. It took a while, but he finally caught an opening when she attempted to throw a knife a close range. The problem with the throwing knives is that they take a second to draw before they become active. Kirito took advantage of that second.

"You're open!" he shouted, shoving his blade forward, impaling the girl's throwing arm. Her health plummeted to 55%. "And now you're finished!" Kirito swung around, slicing into the girl's stomach, her health hitting 40%. A screen appeared above both of them.

_Congratulations!_

_Kirito has won the duel!_

Elena sighed, pulling out a healing crystal and crushing it. Kirito watched her health rise as he did the same. "I was at 72%. You're good," Kirito complimented her. Elena seemed to sigh.

"Not good enough…" she shook her head, "I didn't think to put anything into STR. I thought I could avoid everything." Lady Shade rested her hand on Elena's shoulder. "I guess the rumors are true. You have my word that us three won't be on the front lines tomorrow during the next boss raid." _Damn, so that's what she meant,_ Kirito frowned, _I meant all of them… Not just those three…_ "Ohoho, next time word your deals more accurately."

"Elena!" a deep voice range from the crowd of onlookers. Pushing through was a man in royal white robes, a halfcape over his left arm. His hair was tied into a rat tail, but his main head of hair was messy and unkept, with a red streak of hair over his right eye. "I told you to ONLY get supplies." Before him stood the true leader of the _Royal Sentinels_, Kai. The boy looked at Kirito. "Ah, you again. I'm sorry if these three have caused you trouble. Kirito waved his hand dismissively.

"Nah, it was fun," he replied, "Elena's quite a fighter. Just needs a little work." Elena hung her head in shame.

"I'm sorry, Kai-sama," she said. Kirito noticed a slight tinge of pink on her cheeks. "It won't happen again…"

"Damn right it won't," the boy sighed, "Now thanks to you, I'm down three of my best fighters. We'll meet at the Guild House. I'd like a word with… Kirito was it?"

"Yes." The trio left, with Jagri giving Kirito a nasty glare. "What is it you want to talk about?" Kai looked around, than pulled Kirito into a side alley.

"I've been hearing of something stirring in the lower floors. Rumors of a group of people going out of their way to kill lower levelled players," Kai whispered. Kirito's eye widened. "It's just a rumor, but I want to ask you something. After this next boss raid, us two won't be needed very much because of the KoB. You've heard of them, yes?"

"Yeah, I was actually going to get some information on them," Kirito nodded.

"I propose that us two go down to the lower floors to investigate. Elena will take my place, and you… you could use a break, I'm sure," Kai's eyes glimmered. Kirito took a step back. _Damn, I let my guard down,_ he scolded himself, _I almost felt right into his persuasion without any thought… But still, it sounds like a good idea. Weaker mobs might do me some good. Maybe I can learn more about Kai, too._

"It sounds good. But let's get rid of the boss first. It's supposedly an underwater fight," Kirito replied. The two boys nodded before Kai offered his hand to the younger fellow.

"Let's get you guys out of this place," he said.

"Yeah, we're all getting out."

* * *

_Kirito felt his pulse quicken as he hid behind a corner. _BANG!_ This wasn't good. He could hear sirens outside, but the terrorist was in the other room. He tried to calm himself. Remember his lessons in Kendo. He just had to stay calm and let his mind clear. What should he do? First of all, get as far away from the dangerous man as possible. So he ran. Kirito ran down the halls, going around corners to keep out of sight if he was being followed._

_In only a few minutes, he spotted an officer. The man lowered his gun._

_ "__Get this kid outside," he told someone else. Another man, who was very slim and had a clean shaven face, led Kirito outside. Outside the school was chaos, with ambulances and a lot of people surrounding the school. Kirito simply stayed calm and walked past the barrier around the school. There were a few kids being put into ambulances. He saw one, with long, black hair, staring at him. His eyes were full of fear. Gunshots rang out behind Kirito, the madman had gotten out and was charging straight at the crowd._

_ "__Everyone, run!" someone yelled. All Kirito could do was stare at the mad gunman's face. It was full of hatred. But he saw something else. Tears._

* * *

_Kai cried as the monster who tried to kill him burst from the school doors. He stared at the first year student, who wasn't moving an inch. Than something weird happened. The first year grabbed a long stick from nearby, one, half the size as him. Even though he was being shot at, the madman charged straight for the boy._

_ "__RUN!" Kai found himself shouting. The boy looked at him and smiled. Kai stopped shivering, but the tears still flowed down his cheeks. The boy swung at the man, striking him straight down on the head. Kai watched as he crumpled to the ground, the officers surrounding him. He stared at the boy who'd stunned the man as he threw the stick away. "I'm so weak…" Kai sobbed. "I want to be strong… Like him… I want to be able to face danger and be calm… I want to…" Kai laughed. He'd lost his best friends, but he laughed. It made him feel better. It made him feel stronger. "Ke… Kahahaha… Kahahahaha! AHAHAHAHAHA!" Tears flowed down Kai's face as he remembered the rifle's muzzle flying up in front of him, shooting just above his head. It terrified him. He was terrified. But he would never let the world see his fear ever again. He'd show them, instead, his joy and laughter. He felt himself slip away from the world. As he became one with the ether, six words slipped from his mouth._

_"__I want to save peoples' lives."_

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**I know this one was fast, but I just couldn't stop writing it. I loved this one because it gives a little bit of backstory to the characters. I'm a sucker for backstory. Before you all rage out saying "It's not canon!" remember I warned you that none of this would be matching the canon. This storyline is my own. Sadly, SAO and its characters are not. anyways, hope you guys enjoyed this. Seeya!**


	6. Face of Madness

_"__It is only through mystery and madness that the soul is revealed"_

_-Thomas Moore_

_…_

Kirito stared at the map data laid out on the table. It made him feel good knowing that he'd helped create it. At the head of the table stood Heathcliff, the new leader of the guild _Knights of the Blood_. On the side opposite of Heathcliff was Kai, with Yuki and some other girl standing behind him. The other girl had on a costume identical to the other girls in the _Royal Sentinels_, except it was pink. She had a soft, emotionless face and dark eyes. Not only that, but she had light blue hair that cascaded down her back like a river. True to their word, Elena nor the two others were present at the meeting. Instead, Kai and Heathcliff, who was dressed in bright red armor like a champion knight, were discussing the boss room.

"We know that the last room was a massive difficulty spike," Kai announced, "and this battle is certainly unique that it's on a time limit due to being underwater. According to our scouts, the room is a massive column that fills with water. It's about sixty stories high, and the first two stories are already filled. The sides of the column is hollow with staircases and corridors, and the boss stays in the center."

"The boss's name is _Kraken the Strangler_. Without question, it is a kraken monster," Heathcliff continued. "Such a boss will be massive, and easy to hit. I suggest we stay within the corridors and strike from a distance." Heathcliff glanced up at Kai, looking for his approval. Kirito wasn't sure why, but those two seemed awfully close. Sometimes they were seen eating together at restaurants.

"From what we have, there's about 6 meters between the circle the boss resides in and the sides of the room. No weapon has that kind of range. Not among us, anyway," Kai traced the six meters on the map. It was obvious. "Maybe… Maybe if we can use the boss as a platform…"

"Is that really possible?" Asuna, who was at the side of the table opposite from Kirito, asked. She looked stronger, more determined. But Kirito could still see the sad look in her eyes. She was dressed in all white, just like on the first day he'd fought beside her. "I know what you did with the 19th floor boss was amazing… Using the lesser mobs as stepping stones across the ravine to reach the main boss, but… Can we actually use the boss itself as a solid object?" The girl next to Kai, Asaiko, spoke up.

"Asuna-san," she said, "the monsters are just as solid as everything else in this world. It wouldn't be out of the question."

"They're right," Heathcliff confirmed, "We can assume that the boss will be slippery, though. Our scouts say it has a solid shell that acts as a shield, but is always out of the water. If we can somehow use that to our advantage…"

"Then we can make this boss extremely easy," Kai finished. There was a long pause. Kirito thought of something.

"What if we can break through the shell?" he asked. Everyone looked at him like he was an idiot. "Hey, just asking. I mean, Akihiko made this game to be realistic, right? We know that all weapons and armor have a durability before they break. What if the shell was the same way?" Heathcliff and Kai both exchanged glances.

"That sounds… reasonable," Kai smiled, "Yes, that could have some merit to it." Heathcliff nodded slowly.

"We don't know what attacks this monster has, so we'll have to be cautions. Tanks will charge in first, and the DPS will take up the rear," he said. Asuna tapped the table, drawing everyone's attention.

"I think we should have a single party attempt," she suggested, "to see for sure if it works." She glanced at Kai, then at Kirito. "I don't doubt your abilities, Kirito, but I think that Kai has a better survivability rate." Kirito kicked the ground with his shoe.

"I think I should be the one to try," Kirito grumbled. He felt a hand rest on his shoulder. It was Kai.

"We both know that mobility is my area," he said, "Let me take this one." Kirito couldn't help but feel a bit offended. "Raw strength is your area." Asuna glanced between the two players. Even Heathcliff looked uneasy.

"Are you saying that you're stronger than me?" Kirito asked. Kai removed his hand.

"Of course not, I'm merely stating that in certain areas we outmatch each other," Kai crossed his arms defensively. "For me it is evasiveness and strategy, and with you it would be power and skill." For an uneasy moment, it seemed like the two players were about to fight. Anyone who had partied with both of them would know that they were the two highest levelled players in the room.

"It still sounds like you're saying you're better than I am," Kirito gripped the hilt of his sword. Kai did the same. "I think we should settle this." Kai nodded. "Outside." A crowd followed the two superpowers as they walked outside to the town square. Even there, people who waited outside knew something big was about to happen. Kirito pulled up his window and invited Kai to a duel.

"To first hit or 50%? I'd like to get back to the meeting quickly." Kai asked. Kirito thought a moment.

"We don't have much time, I think a first hit duel will do fine," he agreed. Kai smiled and accepted the duel. The countdown began.

_5._ "I've been waiting a long time for this," Kai said.

_4. _"So have I. We'll finally finish this," Kirito nodded.

_3. _"No matter how this ends, no hard feelings?"

_2. _"Of course. We have a job to do."

_1. _"My thoughts exactly."

_START!_ Kirito immediately burst towards his enemy. It was so fast, it took less than a second. His speed was only outmatched by Asuna and his reaction times were second to none. This would be easy. Kai sidestepped Kirito's lunge, swinging down with his scimitar. It took Kirito no time to know that this would be harder than he thought. He spun through the lunge, using his sword to deflect the oncoming scimitar. He tumbled across the ground as his plan worked. Kai simply gave Kirito a calm look of determination.

"I do hope you have more in you than that," Kai smirked, "I'd actually like to become serious while fighting the _Black Swordsman _of all people." Kirito gripped the hilt of his sword even tighter. He knew that the man standing before him was a good fighter, but he severely underestimated him. Not anymore. This time, he was ready. Around the two was a large circle of spectators, none daring to get close to the legendary players. _Damn,_ Kirito scolded himself. Kai was simply standing calmly in front of him, sword to the side. _He's playing with me… He's good, but I think he's overestimating his abilities. He has to be weak somehow…_ Kirito suddenly regretted not choosing the 50% duel. At least then he had the advantage of power. Here, where speed and evasion was key, he was at a massive disadvantage. Kirito had stumbled into Kai's trap by agreeing that a quick duel would be the best choice. Never did he consider that Kai had suggested a duel that would give him the upper edge. _He's cleverer than I thought, and now I'm paying for it…_

"Are you going to make a move, or is it my turn Mr. Turn-Based player?" Kai taunted. He had an arrogant smirk on his face, amused at Kirito's hesitation. _I can't hesitate. Not against him._ An idea sprang into the _Black Swordsman's_ mind. Kirito lunged at Kai, who laughed and simply sidestepped like he had before, swinging down again. Instead of using the sword to block, Kirito pressed his hands to the ground and kicked it away, taking Kai by surprise. Using the momentary stun, Kirito swung his blade at Kai's feet. Kai immediately backflipped away, putting distance between the two at an instant. Without any second thought, Kirito charged once again. His blade managed to skim the long hair of Kai, but didn't qualify for a hit. Kai seemed absolutely taken aback, not able to plan out his movements and having to rely on instinct, something Kirito was definitely better at. That was what the _Black Swordsmam_ was counting on. Finally Kai gripped his bearings and slashed out at Kirito. It was then that Kirito spotted something that made his blood run cold. On Kai's face was not his usual calm, cocky look, but a look of pure, mad joy. "TIME TO GET SERIOUS! KAHAHAHAHA!"

…

Asuna's blood froze as she stared at Kai's face. Despite anything she'd admit, Asuna had seen that look before. It was before the 15th boss battle. News had spread quickly that the scouting party had been completely wiped out by the _Despair Golem_ boss. At that time, Kai had started to make a name for himself as a powerful fighter, using the enemy's own movements to kill or injure them. It was well known that Kai had made a friend in a player named Jurro, a young boy whom Asuna had had the pleasure of meeting once or twice. The boy was very sweet, and Kai had trained him with care. Unbeknownst to Kai, Jurro had signed up as a boss room scout. He was among those who had been wiped out. Two days afterwards, Asuna had been training in the dungeon beside the boss room when she spotted Kai.

…

_ "__Kai-san, what are you doing here?" Asuna asked. Even though he wore full plate armor, the boy's long rat tail hair was unmistakable. Kai wouldn't even look her in the eyes._

_ "__I came to train," he said. Asuna smiled, not realizing something was wrong. Kai had holed himself up after learning of Jurro's death, and this was the first time he'd been out. This was a good thing, right?_

_ "__Well, would you like to party up with me?" the _Flash_ offered. Kai simply stared at the ground before replying._

_ "__No. I'm going now," he started past her, walking directly towards the boss doors. Asuna ran after him, grabbing his shoulder._

_ "__Hey! Don't go in there, that's the boss!"_

_ "__I know." There was a long silence as the boy kept walking._

_ "__D-Don't go! You could be killed!" A loud _SMACK_ rang through the air. Kai had slapped her… Asuna stared at the boy in shock, not quite sure whether to strangle him or comfort him. On Kai's face was the purest look of hatred she'd ever seen. "K-Kai-san…?"_

_ "__RAAAAAAAAAAAH!" the boy in front of her roared. His hand quickly gripped the hilt of his blade and he swung at her. Asuna was easily able to regain her senses and dodge his swings, jabbing at him out of instinct. Blinded by rage, Kai was an easy target. He fell to the ground, glaring at her. Then he chuckled. "Keheh… Kahaha… KAHAHAHAHA!" Gone was anger, replaced by madness. "AHAHAHAHAHAHA!" With speed that momentarily surpassed her own, Kai lunged at Asuna. She wasn't quick enough to avoid the attack as Kai's scimitar broke her training rapier, slashing across her body. She flew back, watching her health dip from 92% to 57%. "I WILL NEVER LET THEM DIE! KAHAHAHA!" With that, Kai ran into the boss room and the doors shut behind him._

…

It would be an hour later that the door opened again. There would be nothing inside except the portal to the next floor. People would wonder and ask questions about what group of people might have cleared the boss, but Asuna knew the truth. It wasn't a group, but a man. A single, mad man. The same man that now faced Kirito, the legendary _Black Swordsman._ With speeds faster than the normal human eye could follow, Kirito and Kai clashed blades. It was obvious that Kai was having trouble, but somehow he made up for it through accurately dodging Kirito's moves. "How could he know Kirito's fighting style so well…?" Asuna wondered aloud. A slight whimper to her left caught her attention. Beside her, a terrified Yuki watched the raging battle. "Yuki-chan…?"

"We paid her…" she whimpered, not even looking at the auburn haired girl, "we paid her so we could work together…" _Her? Someone who know's Kirito's fighting style? But who could-_ a single name passed through Asuna's mind. _Argo._ Of course. That bitch would sell anything for the right price. Asuna turned back to the battle, not sure of who she should root for. It was only a matter of time before one of them messed up. Both of them must have been exhausted, but neither of them showed it. Kirito only showed his blind determination, and Kai only laughed like a maniac, seemingly relishing the fight. The two separated a few meters, both charging up sword skills. With two great cries, they both burst forward and struck each other, resting at the opposite sides of where they started. Both of them were breathing heavily. No one could speak. Asuna found herself holding her breath, waiting to see who had won. A screen appeared above the battleground.

_Congratulations!_

_IT'S A TIE!_

…

Kirito stared at the message in the sky. Kai was doing the same. The boy showed no traces of what had happened during the fight, his expression once again calm and relaxed. He gave Kirito a warm smile.

"It appears we're equals. That was a fine duel," he said offering his hand. Kirito hesitated to shake it, but for the crowd he did anyway. "I believe we have everything we need to know about the boss. If anyone needs me, they know where to find me." He waved to Yuki and Asaiko, and the two girls followed behind him as they left. Heathcliff seemed to look at Kai with interest.

"That was a very interesting fight," he said to Kirito, drawing a curious look.

"Why do you say that?" he asked. Heathcliff chuckled.

"You both are very strong. I'm sure you both will be the ones to clear the game," Heathcliff looked off into the distance before looking at Kirito once again. "I hope to see you again, but I must go." With that, the man left, leaving Kirito alone with his thoughts.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**This will be my last post for a bit for many reasons. One: I have schoolwork that will be starting soon, and that takes top priority. Two: I need a beta reader. Nobody's been reviewing, and I want to know how I'm doing. So no more chapters until I get myself a beta reader. 3: I dunno, but there's always three reasons, so this is a tossout.**


	7. Dreams

**Sorry the chapter is so short! I've got a lot of schoolwork to do and haven't had much time to write. I'll try and do longer chapters, but they'll take a while to put up. Sorry to my Beta Reader for not sending this to you first. It was spur of the moment and not worth a big review.**

* * *

_"__I would rather walk with a friend in the dark, than alone in the light."_

_-Helen Keller_

_…_

Kai paced the hallways of the large beachhouse. It was only four hours until the boss battle, and one hour until he and his team would have to leave. And he was worried. Yuki wasn't nearly as strong as she should be, and he wasn't sure if he could protect her from the rising waters. He had no doubt that she could handle the monster. But Sword Art Online had a swimming skill set, and Yuki hadn't practiced that in the slightest. In other words, once she hit the water, the system wouldn't be assisting her in any way.

Then he thought of Elena. That stupid girl could have very well just wiped out half of the guild. She just had to try and challenge the one person she could never handle. She'd gotten quite the earful when they returned to the guild house. Now, the rest of them would suffer the consequences. He thought about his duel with Kirito. He'd let himself slip again. After taking in Yuki, he vowed to never show that other side of him again. Unfortunately, old habits die hard. That had been his fourth time.

"I'm still too weak…" he muttered to himself, "I need to grow stronger without…" He sighed, going back to his room on the second floor. As he walked there, a small hand reached for his. He looked down, finding that Yuki had taken hold of his hand, a worried look on her face.

"Onii-chan," she whispered. It was only recently that she'd been calling him that. It had taken him by surprise, and she was adamant about doing so. No amount of coercing would change her mind. "It's going to be ok." There it was again. The boundless innocence and confidence that Yuki had in him. He had to get her out of this place. Somehow he'd return, but he at least had to get her out. A little girl like her didn't deserve to die in such a soulless world. "I told you it'll be ok, onii-chan," Yuki repeated. Somehow, she always knew what he was thinking.

"I suppose it will be," he gave her a gentle smile and patted her head. "I'll be sure to get you out."

"Only if you come and get me," she said. Kai paused. "I want my onii-chan to get me when we wake up…" Kai could only speak the words that flashed first in his mind.

"I will, I promise." He then went to take a nap.

…

_Darkness. That's all he saw. But the sounds. Sounds echoed around him. The sounds of battle an agony._

_ "__If we block together, we can win this," someone said. He could hear shouting. Screaming. The yells of terrified men._

_ "__Attack from the sides!" someone else yelled out much later. He could hear a beast of some sort screeching as it died. Then silence. Long, bitter silence._

_ "__How many…?" someone asked. There was another pause._

_ "__Fourteen," another voice replied. It sounded like it was right beside him, possibly at his back. "Fourteen died…"_

_ "__Fourteen?" someone gasped. More silence. "How can we beat twenty-five more floors…?" There was another long silence. For a moment, he thought the dream had ended. He heard shifting behind him, then._

_ "__Kirito-kun?" someone whispered to his left. Someone behind him took off running. "Kirito-kun, what are you doing!?" There was the clang of metal against something. Everyone around him took a deep breath. "Immortal object?" A rush of sound came at him like a storm. The sounds of fighting. Finally, he'd had enough. Kai ran right towards the fighting. He didn't know where it was, but he had to stop it. He didn't know why they were fighting, but he knew it was bad. He felt something slash down on him._

_ "__Onii-chaaaaan!" somewhere, Yuki screamed in terror._

…

Kai woke with a start. That had been the third nightmare he'd had that week. Despite never being able to see, they all felt real enough. Just voices. Sounds. Pain. Lots of pain.


	8. Rising Stakes

_"__I'm not afraid of death; I just don't want to be there when it happens."_

_-Woody Allen_

_…_

Kai was worried. The doors to the boss room loomed over the ragtag group of clearers. He was alone. No party. Completely solo. And he had the most dangerous job of them all. To initiate the first strike and use the boss's own body as a platform. Assuming it worked. If not, he was going to die. Right there. Right then. He glanced to his left at the _Black Swordsman_, Kirito. After this, Kai would take the boy down to the lower floors to investigate the supposed killings. He was confident in Kirito. If anyone, he'd probably be a lot better than Kai. Kai had gotten desperate during their duel, whilst Kirito was only doing what was natural. He then looked to his right, at Heathcliff.

The man stood stoic, his eyes never wavering from the door. He stood proud, erect. But plastered on his face was a look of distant sadness. Of course. Nobody had meant to be stuck in the game. The man before him probably had a wife and child who were worried about him. He must think of them every waking moment. Perhaps even concern about their safety, or if he was currently divorced. Kai felt left out. Everyone had something to lose. Except him. No, that wasn't true anymore.

"I have them…" he reminded himself in a whisper. He glanced behind him at Yuki. The brunette was in the middle of tickle torture from Asuna. "Yeah… I fight for them now…" Asaiko stood to the side, talking to one boy from the _Knights of the Blood_. She seemed detached from the conversation, however. As if pondering some great wonder. It wasn't such a big surprise to Kai. He'd met her by literally running into her while she was lost in thought. It turned out she was absolutely brilliant. Arguably one of the best strategists in the game. Although she lacked much social experience or common sense… He found that out the hard way when she tried to use a butter knife to duel him. Suffice it to say, she would not have won.

Still, the girl was fierce. Her shield never left her back. Instead of using it on her arm, she wore her shield on her back to prevent surprise attacks. She could defend both behind her and in front of her with her sword and shield. He'd found that others had tried to mimic her fighting style, but could never trust their lives on something so simple. As it turned out, Asaiko had experience fighting even before Sword Art Online. She'd developed the style as a child and slowly perfected it. Her defensive power seconded Heathcliff's, and it wasn't even based on stats. Kai slowly turned back to the massive boss door after a quick glance over the group. Everyone's preparations were complete. He looked at Heathcliff and Kirito, and together, the three strongest players pushed open the doors and led everyone into the corridor surrounding the main boss room.

The room was taller than any other boss's, and was designed like an Atlantic spire tower. Staircases lined the cardinal points, leading up to the floors above. All one hundred twenty-four players crowded in behind the three indisputable leaders.

"Tanks, take up ranks!" Heathcliff commanded. Kai was on his way to the next floor as the order was given. He heard the storming of about 50 players surround the floor below him. To be safe, Kai climbed up another floor. "Beta Squad, lock shields! Foxtrot Squad, ready weapons!" A loud shriek filled the room. Below him, emerging from the water that almost reached the first floor, rose a giant shell. Underneath was a small patch of flesh, which was pink and probably very slippery. Under the water, glaring with a glowering rage, was _Kraken the Strangler_. A few players backed away from fear. The beast was around twenty meters wide and thirty-four meters tall, including its shell. From what Kai could tell, it had around twenty tentacles. The attack patterns were a mystery. Another shriek was released from the enraged boss as above its shell, four health bars were filled. There was no way anyone could reach through the six meters that separated them and the beast… Unless Kai succeeded. The entire building shook as the Kraken started to attack. Its tentacles whipped out in every direction, trying to break through the tank shields. Water poured in from the ceiling, filling the pool below.

"Hold your positions!" Heathcliff ordered. Kai took a deep breath, trying to catch the monster when it wasn't moving as much. Finally, the shell stopped moving. He leapt off of his perch above the boss, aiming for the large, dry shell.

…

Asuna held her ground behind a line of tanks. Her party consisted of her, Yuki, Kirito, and Asaiko. Kai had tried to convince them to let Heathcliff in, but Kirito thought it unwise to have the commander of the _KoB_ in a party not made up of his own guild members. Despite Yuki's very adorable begging, the motion was passed that Heathcliff would remain with his guild. The boss monster struck hard against the shields, rattling the men behind them.

"Don't give up!" she cheered them on, "We just need a little more time!" Unfortunately, time was not something they had a lot of. The rising water was at their ankles now. She looked up to the upper floors. Where the hell was Kai? As the thought crossed her mind she saw a shape falling from above. The man in question.

"HRAAAAGH!" he yelled, his curved blade impaling the shell of the Kraken. With an enraged bellow the beast flailed its tentacles, knocking down two defensive lines. Kai crawled up onto the beast's back and began stabbing at the shell. It had worked. "Everyone, hop on!" It took a moment for the soldiers to realize what happened. A loud cheer rose through the ranks.

"Everyone, get up the stairs!" Asuna was the first to recover. A surge of players crowded the stairwells, Kirito, Asuna, and Heathcliff in the vanguard, and Yuki and Asaiko taking up the rear to make sure nobody was left behind. One by one, the players leapt onto the open shell and were separated into two groups. One third would work on reducing the shell's durability. Another third would attack the small patch of flesh that they could reach without falling off. The last third would defend everyone else from the Kraken's oncoming tentacles. Asuna did her best to strike down the tentacles. It seemed that they couldn't be cut off, only repelled.

"Strike harder" Kai shouted, "it's starting to crack!" Asuna took a look at the shell. Sure enough, a large crack was beginning to form. Soft flesh could be seen underneath. Asuna jabbed her rapier into the flesh below. The beast was on its second health bar, and at the end of it at that. A loud _CRACK!_ Rang through the air. Asuna wasn't quite sure how much time had passed. That always happened during a boss battle. However, the noise drew her attention. Above her, she could see a rapidly approaching ceiling. If this didn't end fast, all of them would be crushed. It took a moment later for the sound of smashing glass to penetrate her ears. The shell of _Kraken the Strangler _shattered into multiple polygons. Its health was in the red. Fury overtook Asuna's body.

"Hit it hard!" Kirito shouted. A war cry echoed through the room as the remaining one hundred twenty players attacked the bare flesh. The Kraken's health essentially dropped to zero. With a lout rumble, the boss exploded to pieces. As soon as that happened, the water turned into concrete, and the water that was flowing in stopped. Words appeared over everyone's head. They had beaten the boss ten meters from the ceiling, about seventy-five floors above the entering area.

_Congratulations!_

_Kraken the Strangler Has Been Defeated!_

…

Kirito exhaled slowly. He was utterly wiped. Of course a boss like that could tire almost anyone. He looked around him. The rest of the clearers had fallen to the ground, resting. No matter how much HP you had left, it still left you physically taxed at the end of a battle. He glanced at Heathcliff and Kai, who were speaking in whispers. They stood erect, as if they were talking on the street. There were no signs of fatigue from either of them. It struck Kirito that if the duel had gone on long enough, Kai would have easily outmatched Kirito in stamina. That was probably what the man had laid his hopes on. He didn't expect Kirito to put up such a fight.

Heathcliff looked worried and confused. Kirito decided to activate his listening skill.

"I'd rather not lose two of the strongest players in the game," Heathcliff was in the middle of an argument.

"It'll only be for a few days, alright?" Kai said. Kirito hadn't heard him speak in such an informal way before. "Besides, you saw that Asuna-san was quite capable. I'll also be leaving my guild with you, so there should be no trouble."

"You'd leave the _Royal Sentinels_ to me?" Heathcliff seemed dubious.

"No, Elena will be taking my place as leader while I'm away," Kai explained, "Respect her like you'd respect me, please."

"I'm still uncertain of this…"

"Heathcliff," Kai rested a hand on the man's shoulder. "I'm asking you this as a friend. There are people in danger. It'll only be for half a year. Hell, maybe less if you guys beat the game in that time." Kai had a genuine smile on his face. "Please." Heathcliff seemed to think for a moment.

"Alright, I'll approve. A shame, leaving only me to lead the front lines," he finally agreed. "Perhaps I'll substitute you both with Elena-san and Asuna-san. They're both very capable, as you pointed out."

"Good. I'll see you in a while." With that, Kai walked over to Kirito. He quickly turned off the enhanced listening. Kai merely chuckled and helped the _Black Swordsman _to his feet. "It's time for us to go. Are you ready?" Kirito nodded. They both pulled a teleportation crystal from their inventory and activated them.

"Teleport: Irrendu!"

…

Asuna watched the two players teleport out of the dungeon. She wasn't quite sure what was going on, but it made her nervous. Slowly, she picked herself up. "Well?" she said aloud, drawing everyone's attention, "Are we gonna go to the next floor or sit here like we lost?" A murmur broke from the group as everyone slowly got to their feet. There was a bit of cheerful talking, but the same thoughts were running through everyone's mind. _This is hard. How many more will die? _Before Asuna made it to the portal, a firm hand rested on her shoulder. Asuna turned to see who it was. Heathcliff.

"Asuna," he said. The girl shuddered, wondering what is was the famous leader wanted. "I'd like to make you an offer."

…

It was evening when Kirito and Kai arrived to the _Town of Beginnings_. There wasn't too much activity aside from in the market. People had started making livings in the starting town, as everyone could reach it with no fear of stumbling out and getting killed. Even Agil had started up a store selling items at outrageous prices, but buying them at moderate ones. Kai wasn't sure how that made a good business campaign, but it worked. Through a small debate, the two high classed fighters decided to disguise themselves. It was Kai's idea. The news of a high ranking, God forbid two, clearers would spread fast. They didn't want that attention if they were to investigate people who didn't want to be found by high levelled players. After a quick few messages, Lady Shade was summoned to the shared bedroom at a nearby inn. She designed new disguises for the boys. For Kai, she'd made some simple cloths consisting of a white theme, much like how he'd entered. It was a white, long sleeved coat with a wolf theme. At the collar was fluffy Dire Wolf fur and the same fur at the heels of his white shoes. He was also given white pants that would match a tailored suit. On the back of the hood was a small image of the _Royal Sentinel_ crest, a scimitar pointing straight up within a red circle.

Kirito was given a black clothing in contrast. Lady Shade managed to design very 'street' looking clothing. A ratty black jacket with Dire Wolf fur along the bottom and the collar with a purple zipper, as well as long black pants that resembled jeans. Kirito got a grey undershirt and black, fingerless gloves with sword imprints on the back of the hand. He also received armored black shoes with purple bottoms.

"I look weird," Kirito mumbled when he saw himself in the mirror. "I don't look like me."

"That's the point, boy," Kai pointed out, sheathing his scimitar on his left side. "Ugh, I hate putting a weapon here… So strange…" After scolding the boys about complaining, the tailor of the _Royal Sentinels_ left.

"Should we start investigating, now, or tomorrow?" Kirito asked. He sat on the bed, wishing he hadn't been talked into sharing with Kai. The man might be strong and tactically intelligent, but he was definitely cheap, too. Kirito learned within a day that Kai hated to waste money on unnecessary things. He'd rather buy large flashy things than waste it on minimal essentials.

"Tomorrow. I'm tired," Kai sighed and collapsed onto the bed. "That boss wiped me out…" Kirito was surprised. So he didn't show his exhaustion to others, but behind closed doors he let himself be open. That was definitely something to keep in mind. "Goodnight, Kirito."

"Goodnight."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Whew, that took a lot of work. First of all, I have schoolwork. Secondly, I had to make up a lot of stuff. Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed it!**


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